BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- A new photography exhibit opening Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, in the Central Library downtown compares current civil rights protests by young millennials and groups such as Black Lives Matter to the 1960s civil rights movement.

The 4th Floor Gallery exhibit, by photographer Sheila Pree Bright, is called “#1960Now,” and examines race, gender and generational divides to raise awareness of millennial perspectives on civil and human rights. #1960Now is a photographic series of emerging young leaders affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement. Bright documents responses to police shootings in Atlanta, Ferguson, Baltimore, Baton Rouge, La., and Washington, D.C.

Bright’s photos depicted in #1960Now are included in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C., and two venues in Atlanta - The High Museum of Art and The Center for Civil and Human Rights. The 4th Floor exhibit continues through Dec. 1.

You can read more about this project at this link https://www.project1960.com/ and read about Sheila Pree Bright at her website, https://www.sheilapreebright.com/

+As a fine arts photographer, Bright shoots photos that create narratives about social, political and historical context not often seen in the visual communication of media and propaganda based platforms. Speaking on the current social and political climate in the U.S., Bright said, “I feel art can be a form of action to create awareness and bring shared communities together to critically look at ongoing social and political struggles across the nation."

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For additional information about the programs and services of the Birmingham Public Library, visit our website at www.bplonline.org and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter @BPL. The mission of Birmingham Public Library is to provide the highest quality library experience to our community for life-long learning, cultural enrichment, and enjoyment. This system—with 19 locations and serving the community for 130 years—is one of the largest library systems in the southeast.